Niter oven



' 'April 23, 1929. R P R 1,709,880

I 617 "mm Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED 'ST L 1 1,709,880 FFICE.

EDMOND B. RUPARD, or ATLANTA, GEORGIA, assicnon T0 ARMOUR FERTILIZER worms, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION on NEW JERSEY.

NITER OVEN.

Application filed June 2,

In the manufacture of sulfuric acid, the customary practice for introducing niter into the chambers, when nitrate of soda and sulfuric acid are employed to form oxides of nitrogen, is to put the nitrate of soda, to-

I gether with liquid sulfuric acid, into a castiron pot which is exposed to the heat from the burners in a chamberoffset from, but in more or less direct communication with, the flues, the heat causing a reaction which boils out the nitric acid formed, the latter passing into the gas flue to the Glover tower and chambers.

The improved niter-oven of this patent does not change this general form of operation, but improves the method in that more heat can be used, thereby causing a quicker and more thorough generation of nitric acid, and also returning more of the sulfuric acid to the chambers.

The new oven avoidshor obviates the cost of the cast-iron pots, and, being much more durable, eliminates the frequent occasions for changing the pots, which unavoidably disturbs or upsets the system and makes necessary an excessive nitrate ofv soda supply, as well as causing the loss in yield which ensues from the temporary derangement of the system. v

Furthermore, another advantage of the new oven is that itprecludes the possibility of running molten niter-cake into the combustion chambers, because there is no trap beneath the pot to be neglected andthe safety overflow will drain the niter cake before it reaches a dangerous level.

The novel and improved oven may be built entirely of chemical brick, bonded with acid-proof mortar, heavy linings and all brick layers being laid SQ that all joints will be broken.

A cast-iron pan may be encased in such brickwork as an extra precaution, if desired, but its use isnot at all essential, and, if preferred, the vessel or receptacle, instead of being made or composed of a plurality of associated bricks properly bound or bonded together, as specified, may be formed as a single, complete, ceramic body of the proper size and required shape.

The opening connecting such vessel to the .combustion chamberis made very large, or, in fact, it may be directly located in the flue, so that it, and its contents, will be subjected to ample heat, in fact, greater than 1927. Serial No. 195,906.

has heretofore been customary or possible,

and, indeed, the parts may be so arranged that the flames sweep directly over the nitrate of soda and acid mixture.

' Other advantages accruing from the use of the novel construction will become apparentto those skilled in this art from;a

study of the present preferred embodimentv of the invention described in detail below and illustrated in the accompanying drawmg forming a part of this specification.

In this drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical section showingthe ofi'set compartment including the niter-oven,

this view being a sectiononline 1 -1 ofconnects, through a'passa'ge 12 of substan t1al size, with the niter-oven proper, comprising a compartment 13 having an opentop vessel'or receptacle 14 in its base adapted tooaccommodate the nitrate of soda and sulfume and which may be introduced thereinto through the valved charging funnel 15 extended through the top wall of the oven.

This vessel 14 may be formed of chemical bricks enclosing a safety. pan'16, or the, I

pan may be omitted, or the structure'may be made as a-s1ngle ceramic unit.

In View of the-relatively-large conduit 12,

the heat and possibly the flames in the flue 11' find ready access to the vesseland ,its contents, and, because of the heat-resisting and refractory nature of the vessel, the conduit 12 may be madeconsiderably larger'in crosssection than has heretofore been customary,

thus subjecting"' the vessel and its contents .to more intense heat, with resulting economical advantages, by reason of a' more efliclent'chemical reaction. I a 4 Slightly below the level of the floor or bottom. wall of the conduit 12, the vessel 14 has a safetyfoverflow passage 17 through the wall of the oven, its outer end being ,closed by a gravity-actuated flap valve 18, which will automatically open outwardly to .permit a discharge, and W111 fall closed when no such delivery occurs. Q

' lathe old constructions, using the heavy cast-iron pot above a; safety iron-pan, the

I latter has been provided as a trap to catch any of the material which may boil over out of the pot, but if, through neglect, as not infrequently happens, such pan becomes full,'the molten niter-cake will flow out into the combustion chambers, and possibly more or less close the connecting passage between the oven and the chambers, to the serious detriment of the proper and eflicient operniter-cake will not harden or freeze, but

will readily flow out through such passage and automatically open the cap or valve until the excess is relieved, whereupon the valve will close without attention.

In some cases the conduit 12 may be made.

so large and the other parts of the construction so arranged that the nlter-oven may practically constitute a part of the main combustion flue.

Several changes may be incorporated in the novel and improved oven as presented without departure from the principles of the invention, defined in the ap ended claim, and without thefloss or sacri cc of any of its material benefits and advantages.

I claim:

A niter-oven for use in the manufacture of sulfuric acid, (comprising an oven compartment connected by a conduit to the combustion flue of the system and having in its lower part a refractory vessel below .said conduit adapted to contain nitrate of soda and sulfuric acid, said vessel having a safety overflow passage through the wallof the oven at a level below said conduit with an automatically outwardly-opening valve nor- -mally closing the outer end of such passage.

Inwltness whereof I have hereunto set 

